Mystery Meet
by Piper Masters
Summary: Geek or freak- now Danny Fenton is both. With new powers that he can barely control, Danny must save his friends from a 50 meat monster. Just when things seem to be at their worst, a new friend shows up, and she might just be the help that Danny needs. (AKA I'm rewriting the DP series with Liz in it)


Enjoy! Please leave a review :)

"Danny!" Jack smiled widely at his son. "I'm so proud you and your friends have decided to join the family business and hunt ghosts!"

Danny couldn't help but roll his eyes, giving his friends an apologetic look. None of them had expressed such an interest, yet Jack Fenton had roped them into the ghost lab anyways.

"Ghosts are so early 2000's, Mr. Fenton," Sam said dismissively, leaning back in her chair. "Unless they're haunting animatronics at a pizza restaurant, no one cares."

Tucker nodded in agreement. "Besides, I don't think my guidance counselor would be too thrilled if I told her I was pursuing ghost hunting as a career."

Jack laughed, ignoring what the teens had said. "Before you start hunting ghosts, there are a few things you need to know." Jack pulled a rolling whiteboard over, the words 'Ghost 101' already written. Danny groaned- his dad had must have been planning this ambush all week.

"First rule of ghost hunting," Jack flipped the board around so the other side was showing. He popped open an expo marker and began writing. "Know your enemy. In this case-ghosts!" Danny scratched the back of his head uncomfortably.

"Second; all ghosts are evil. Every single one of 'em. And third," Jack spun around dramatically to face the trio, his face suddenly serious. "If you ever see a ghost, _show no mercy_."

Danny laughed anxiously as his dad backed away, turning to write the third rule on the board. Sam and Tucker glanced at Danny, eyes wide.

"Now, it's true that I've never seen a ghost." Jack began to rummage through the mess of science equipment on the table beside him. "But when I do, I'll be prepared! And so will you!"

"Whether we want to be or not." Danny muttered bitterly.

Tucker yelped as a cybernetic thermos dropped into his lap. "This is the Fenton Thermos. It traps ghosts!" Jack explained proudly. Danny inched his chair away from Tucker's, face going white. "I just need to figure out a way to power it. Until then, it's just a thermos. A thermos with the word 'Fenton' in front of it!"

Sam averted her gaze, determined to seem as uninterested as possible.

"Eyeing the Fenton Portal, Sam?" Jack asked enthusiastically. "Excellent choice! It releases ghosts into our world- whether I want it to or not! Someday, I'll figure out how it works- maybe even figure out how it started working in the first place!" He beamed at the trio. "Now, who wants to hunt some ghosts?"

Before anyone could answer, and excited shout of "It's done!" rang from the top of the stairs. Maddie Fenton raced down the stairs, victoriously waving around her newly completed project.

"Done?" Jack's face lit up as he examined the gadget. "The Fenton Finder is done!"

Tucker cleared his throat. "The what now?"

Jack brandished his new toy proudly. "The Fenton finder! This little baby uses satellites to lock on to ghost particles in the area and leads us right to ghosts!"

Danny's heart stopped. "It uses what to find _what_?" His left arm chose that moment to turn invisible. Sam noticed and hastily stepped in front of him, hiding Danny from his parents view.

"Kids, what to see a real piece of working ghost hunting tech?" Maddie offered, eyes gleaming passionately.

"No way-" Tucker winced as Sam elbowed him in the ribs, tilting her heads towards Danny and his missing arm. 'Distract them' she mouthed. "No way could I pass that up!" Tucker waltzed over to the Fentons, forced excitement on his face. His eyes darted restlessly towards Danny as the Fentons switched the device on.

"Welcome to the Fenton Finder." Siri's voice floated through a speaker on the device. "A ghost is near." A map appeared on screen, an arrow pointing in which direction to walk in.

Danny gulped as his parents began to walk towards him, eyes glued to the Fenton Finder screen.

The Fentons followed Sam and Danny as they backed away until Danny was pinned against a cabinet, Sam mere inches in front of him. Tucker held his breath the the map on the device showed the close proximity to a ghost.

"Ghost has been located. Thank you for using the Fenton Finder." Siri reported. Jack and Maddie looked up expectantly, only to to be disappointed when two teenagers looked back at them.

"Must be a glitch." Maddie sighed in disappointment, turning the Finder off.

"Damn." Jack shook a fist in the air. "You win this time, ghost!" Danny sagged against the cabinet in relief.

"Unless it's in the cupboard!" Jack suddenly shoved Danny and Sam out of the way and yanked open the cupboard behind them, throwing things off the shelves.

"Mom? Dad?" Danny's older sister made her way down the stairs into the lab. "What's all the noise-" She stopped and took in the scene in front of her; Danny and his friends seated in front of a whiteboard while Maddie tinkered with the Fenton Finder and Jack dug his way through his cabinet, screaming threats to ghosts. "What are you _doing_?" Jazz exclaimed, eyes narrowing.

"Learning ghost 101." Tucker offered Jazz the Thermos. "Care for a thermos with the word 'Fenton' in front of it?"

Jazz threw her hands in the air. "That's it! This has _officially_ gone too far!" She pointed an accusing finger at her mother. "Your sick obsessions with ghosts already ruined _my_ life- I won't let it ruin Danny's!"

Maddie set the Fenton Finder down, setting a comforting hand on her daughters shoulder. "Jazz, sweetie, I know what we do doesn't always make sense-"

"It _never_ makes sense!"

"But you're only 16." Maddie finished. "Maybe when you're older-"

"I'll what?" Jazz crossed her arms. "Understand why Dad is looking for a _ghost_ in the cabinet? You keep telling me I'm only a kid, yet _you guys_ are the ones who hunt ghosts and believe in monsters under the bed."

"And in the closet!" Jack added, satisfied that there were no spooks hiding in the cabinet.

"This is _exactly_ my point!" Jazz snapped. "Danny is at a very impressionable age, and your insane obsession is polluting his mind! And dragging his friends into it? It's bad enough that you subject your own children to your madness- I _refuse_ to let you poison the minds of other people's children as well." Jazz stepped protectively in front of Sam and Tucker, wrapping her arms around her little brother. "Come on you confused, unwanted, outcasts; I'll drive you to school."

" 'Confused, unwanted, outcasts'." Sam quoted as the trio made their way into school. "Glad to know she thinks so highly of us." When Danny didn't answer, Sam snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Hello? Anyone home?"

Danny jumped slightly, his eyes flashing green. "Sorry," he apologized.

"Thinking about this morning?" Tucker guessed. Danny nodded.

"At least it was just your arm this time." Sam pointed out.

Danny couldn't help but agree. In the past month since his incident, he'd turned completely invisible, fallen through the floors of his house, and become a victim of sleep flying. Tucker had started keeping track of how the incidents correlated to his diet and sleeping patterns, as well as the amount of stress in his life and found them to be strongly related.

"Try to stay relaxed today." Sam said, "The last thing you need right now is another incident in school."

Danny nodded in agreement, thinking of all the glass beakers he'd broken in science class. The bell rang, and the trio left to their respective classes. Throughout the morning, Danny couldn't pay attention to his lessons. He found himself too focused on staying relaxed and keeping his new found powers in check, while simultaneously replaying the events of that morning in his head. By lunch, he had worked himself into an anxious mess.

"Maybe you should bite the bullet and tell your parents." Tucker suggested as they made their way to the cafeteria.

"Tell my parents, the _scientists_ , that one of their inventions gave me superpowers?" Danny scoffed. "Brilliant idea, Tuck."

"They're your parents. They'll still love you, no matter what! What's holding you back?"

"Maybe the fact that his dads favorite pastime is dissecting things molecule by molecule." Sam snapped. "Or maybe you want to be the one to tell Mr. Fenton that the miracle that powered his ghost portal was actually his son?"

Tucker glared at her. "No, I don't. But if Danny told them, maybe they'd be able to help!"

Danny sighed, shoulders dropping. "He has a point Sam. It's been a month- this isn't just going to go away and I clearly have no idea what I'm doing. I can't even control this- whatever _this_ is- half the time." He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. Unknown to him, his legs turned intangible, and he began to sink through the floor. "If someone at school catches me I go from freak to… to freakier!"

"Like if someone saw what you were doing right now?" Questioned Tucker. Danny's eyes flew open and he gasped, struggling as if he were in quicksand when he realized what was happening. Sam and Tucker grabbed his arms and pulled him back to his full height, holding him there until his legs reappeared.

"Damn it!" Danny stomped down the stairs, running his fingers through his hair anxiously.

Sam sprinted to catch up with him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Your powers make you unique." She pointed out. "Unique is good!"

Danny rolled his eyes. " 'Unique' is just another word for 'freak'."

"It is not!" Sam argued. " 'Unique' is another word for 'special', and if 'The Incredibles' taught us anything, it's that being special is pretty incredible."

Tucker pretended to gag. Sam poked her tongue out at him. "It's true! It's one of the many reasons I'm an Ultra-recyclo vegetarian."

"You mean 'vegan'." Tucker said with an eye roll.

"Ultra-recyclo vegetarian."

"Vegan."

"Ultra-recyclo vegetarian!"

"That's not a real thing!"

"Yes it is!"

"If you can find a menu that has 'ultra-recyclo vegetarian' options, not only will I agree to it being a real thing, but I will try it _without_ complaining." Tucker said, a competitive edge to his voice.

Sam grinned evilly. "Hope you like grass Techno-Geek. It just so happens that the school decided to try a new cafeteria menu this week. A menu _I_ submitted."

Tuckers face fell. "Sam, no."

"Sam, _YES_!"

"Sam, _why?_ " Danny groaned as they rounded the corner to the cafeteria, lazily painted posters advertising the new menu of the week. Miserable students sat at tables scattered around the room, poking at the meal on their trays in disgust.

"I thought it was high time for a change!" Sam said proudly, herding her friends into the lunch line.

The lunch lady stared blankly as she dropped a piece of toast covered in grass on their trays.

Danny wrinkled his nose. "I thought you were kidding about the grass."

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Screeched Tucker, dropping to his knees in horror. Sam laughed and stepped over him, ignoring the glares the student body gave her.

Sam looked at her friends expectantly as they sat down, fingers laced under her chin. Tucker gagged and averted his gaze. Danny tentatively lifted a spoonful of grass off his plate, eyeing it warily.

"Don't you think this might be a little… much?" He asked carefully. "Couldn't you have at least included something normal, like pizza?"

"If I did that, then no one would try my menu at all." Sam motioned for Danny to take a bite.

"I think I'd rather starve than eat this garbage." Tucker mumbled.

"It's not garbage! It's recyclable organic matter."

"It's _garbage_!"

Danny rested his head on his palm, letting his spoon fall to his plate. Everyone in the cafeteria was sitting in silence, trying to decide what to make of the new menu. People watched as Dash, the junior varsity quarterback, argued with the lunch lady, insisting that he needed something with more protein so he'd have energy for his after school football practice. The lunch lady shooed him away with a dead look in her eyes, and Dash stalked away.

As soon as he was gone the light came back into the lunch lady's eyes, and Danny saw her pull a cheeseburger out on her apron, taking a huge bite before creeping out of site. Danny's stomach growled, and he wondered if there were any more burgers hidden in the kitchen.

A shadow covered the table and Tucker squeaked, backing away. "Danny," he whispered, snapping his friends attention back to the present. "I think you have a problem."

"Fenton!" Dash growled, pulling the teen from his seat by the front of his shirt. "Do you know what this is?" Dash pointed to his plate. "This is a mud pie, made with _actual_ mud. FROM THE GROUND."

"Ironic," said Danny,"All those times you threatened to make _me_ eat dirt, and _you're_ the one eating mud."

Dash snarled, pulling Danny closer. "I have football practice after school, Fenton. I'm not gonna end up being benched at the game this weekend because your stupid girlfriend changed the menu. "

"She's not my girlfriend!" Danny squeaked.

"I'm _not_ his girlfriend." Sam confirmed.

"Whatever." Dash slammed Danny on the lunch table. "I saw that lunch lady - I know she's keeping a stash of meat locked up back there. Since it's _your_ friend who took it away, _you're_ gonna go get it back."

Danny scoffed. "You can't honestly expect me to break into the kitchen."

"You'll do it." Dash threatened. "Because if you don't, and we lose our game, the rest of your meals will come from a straw."

Danny gulped, glancing over Dash's shoulder. The entire junior varsity football team stood behind him, looking all too eager to start a fight. Danny's eyes darted around the room as he desperately tried to think of a way to escape.

"If I'm going to break into the kitchen, I'm going to need a distraction," He said, a plan slowly taking shape in his mind. Dash's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Danny sent Sam an apologetic look before grabbing a handful of Dash's lunch and smashing the mud in the blond's face.

Dash dropped the boy in surprise, shouting threats as he wiped the mud from his eyes. "GARBAGE FIGHT!" Danny shouted, launching his own lunch into the crowd of students that had gathered around his table. He dove under his table as cheers broke out and hundreds of high school students raised their lunch to the air.

"It's not _garbage!_ " Sam snapped.

"That is the _least_ of my problems right now!" Danny hissed.

Tucker's eyes sparkled. "Are we really gonna do it? Are we gonna break into the kitchen?"

With a resigned nod, the three began to crawl towards the kitchen, weaving between people's legs to avoid being noticed. Somewhere in the crowd Dash was cursing Danny's name, but on one paid him any attention.

Tucker and Danny winced as the door to the kitchen creaked open. Despite having almost half a wall open to the noise of the cafeteria, the room possessed an eerie silence.

Tucker inhaled deeply. "All I smell is grass." He said bitterly. "And I don't even see a piece of beef jerky."

"If you're so desperate for meat, you'll have to actually go _look_ for it." Sam pointed out, shoving Tucker forward a step.

"Are you crazy? What if someone's in here?"

"Wimp." Sam walked into the kitchen, daring Tucker to follow.

"If I get detention because of her _again_ …" Tucker muttered as he fully entered the kitchen with Danny in tow.

"See?" Said Sam, "No one's here."

Suddenly, Danny hiccuped as a shiver went through him, and a blue mist passed his lips. "I wouldn't be so sure," Sam and Tucker glanced at each other, uneasy, as the three hid themselves behind a shelf.

As the three watched, a woman floated up from the floor and stood in the kitchen. The woman looked around, scrunched up her nose in disgust, and began to search through the kitchen cabinets.

"Is that-"

"A ghost." Danny confirmed, blood running cold.

"She doesn't look like a ghost," Tucker whispered. "She actually looks like my grandma."

"Is your grandma _green_?" Sam snapped.

Danny hushed them as the kitchen door opened. A girl no older than Danny stalked in, dressed all in black with stark white hair. He caught a glimpse of glowing purple as the girl sauntered past, her hands on her hips.

"Hello, dearie." The lunch lady ghost greeted the girl with a warm smile. "Today is meatloaf day, but I can't find the meatloaf. Have you seen it?"

"According to the signs, today is actually 'ultra-recyclo vegetarian' day." The girl said, pointing to the signs. "Which I'm pretty sure is just a fancy way to say 'vegan'."

Tucker had to bite his tongue to keep himself from laughing at Sam's enraged expression.

"No," the ghost insisted, resuming her search. "Today is meatloaf day."

" _Regardless,"_ the girl sighed in exasperation. "You can't be here."

"But I have to make the meatloaf! School children need their protein." Danny pushed his friends behind him as the ghost got closer to them, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

The white-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Obviously the menu has been changed. But I'm sure the children will get -"

"CHANGED?" The ghost roared grabbing the girl by the shoulders. "THE MENU CAN NOT BE _CHANGED_!"

Sam covered her mouth to suppress a gasp as the ghost tossed the girl like a rag doll, sending her crashing into a tower of plastic lunch trays. The ghost heard the gasp, however, and floated over, then shoved the shelf that hid the trio aside.

Danny thrust his arms in front of his friends and concentrated, and for the first time since the incident, he changed on command. His hair turned white and his eyes changed from blue to bright green; his clothes melted away and were replaced with the suit he wore when the incident happened.

Sam and Tucker jumped behind his outstretched arms, cowering as the ghost leered over them.

"I believe there's been a misunderstanding." The ghost said in a warm, welcoming voice. "Did someone change the menu?"

Tucker jerked a shaking thumb in Sam's direction. "She did." He said meekly.

" _YOU_ CHANGED THE MENU?" The ghost's eyes began to glow red, her hair catching on fire. The trio gasped, backing away. "THE MENU HAS BEEN THE SAME FOR 50 YEARS!"

"Danny!" Sam squeaked.

"I demand you to…" Danny's voice faltered. "Go away?"

The ghost snickered as her hands began to glow. Counters full of dishes began to tremble and the plates lifted into the air, sailing towards Danny. He closed his eyes, bracing himself, when suddenly he heard them all crash to the floor as the ghost screamed.

Danny opened his eyes to see the mystery girl floating behind the lunch lady, threatening her with a soup ladle. "Leave those kids alone!" She hissed, purple eyes flashing.

Plates rose from the floor, launching themselves at the girl as the ghost roared. The girl ducked under the attack, rolling up in front of Danny and the others.

"You need to leave." She demanded, ushering them towards the door. " _Now._ "

"Dude," Tucker breathed as the girl threw a pan lid at the ghost like a frisbee. "She's... She's like-"

"Me." Danny finished, eyes wide. "She's like _me."_

The ghost whipped around to face the trio, launching lunch trays to block their exit. Danny pushed Sam and Tucker to the floor, catching the trays as they came at him.

The lunch lady scoffed. "Perhaps you can have a successful career as a busboy." Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Sam. Behind her, the kitchen ovens began to jump, pulling themselves from the wall. "I control lunch. Lunch is _sacred._ Lunch has _rules."_

The cords and wires sparked as the ovens were ripped away, doors opening like mouth's to reveal rows of red hot teeth. The lunch lady cackled as Sam and Tucker screamed.

" _Move!"_ Mystery Girl shrieked.

Danny shoved Sam and Tucker away as an oven backed him into a corner. The mystery girl was shouting for him to get out of the way; his friends screamed his name. Flames erupted from the mouth of the oven, heat licking at his face.

 _I'm about to be burned alive._ Danny thought, his heart skipping a beat. He closed his eyes as the oven closed in, only to find himself falling backwards through the wall, just like he'd done with the floor that morning.

At the sound of metal scraping on metal, Danny flung himself back into the kitchen. Sam was using a rolling shelf to push an oven away from her; Tucker was running away from another, swearing he'd never dis the school's cooking again if he lived.

The mystery girl was frozen in place, jaw hanging open as she stared at Danny. He tripped as he dragged himself out of the wall, his tangibility returning only seconds after his escape.

"Oh my God." The girl blinked herself out of her stupor. She grabbed a stray wire from the oven trailing Tucker, yanking the stove off the geek's heels. With a grunt she swung it like a discus player, sending it crashing into its twin. Sam jumped out of the way as the two collided, lighting each other on fire.

"Fire extinguisher!" The mystery girl cried. Danny ripped it from the wall and tossed it to her, watching as she doused the monsters in white foam. They didn't move again.

After a moment of silence, Tucker glared at Sam. " _This_ is exactly why you don't complain about school lunches! You accept that we get crappy food and be happy about it!"

"I will _not_ be happy about it!" Sam shouted, turning her back to Tucker. "How was I supposed to know some ghost was going to take it personally?"

"Ghost..." Danny repeated, sitting heavily on the ground. "Holy crap. They were right."

Reality hit Danny like a brick in the face. Ghosts were real. Not only were his parents _not_ crazy, but they were right; Ghosts were evil.

All of a sudden, Danny was hauled roughly to his feet by the mystery girl.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" She demanded, welding the fire extinguisher like a sword. "Why are you here?"

"We go to school here." Tucker squeaked.

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"We're students." Sam said evenly. "We only came back here because-"

"You're telling me _he's_ a student?"

Danny nodded silently. The girl lowered the fire extinguisher in confusion. Without warning, she pulled Danny closer by the collar of his shirt, eyes suddenly hard.

"How'd you do that thing with the wall?"

"I… I don't really know-"

"How do you know about ghosts?"

"I don't, not really-"

"How'd you even know that _was_ a ghost?"

Danny blanched- how _had_ he known? "I, I really don't, I don't-"

The girl groaned, rolling her eyes. "Well what _do_ you know?"

"Nothing!" Danny cried, emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "I _don't_ know how I knew it was a ghost, I _don't_ know how I did the wall thing, I _don't know anything_!"

Danny realized he was shaking as the girl released him. Sam crouched next to him as he suck to the floor, mind racing too fast to think. "I don't know what's happening to me."

Tucker joined his friends, wrapping an arm around his best friend.

"Oh." the girl said quietly. She ran a hand over her face, distressed. Slowly, she joined the trio on the floor.

"What's happening?" Danny whispered to himself.

"Oh, God." The girl lay an awkward hand on his shoulder. "I don't really know how to say this. Wow, I _really_ have no idea how to say this…"

"Say what?" Tucker asked, pulling his best friend closer.

The girl exhaled heavily. "Congratulations kid; you're dead."

Everything around Danny faded to static. He could see Sam jump away from him; he could see the girl raise her arms in defense as Tucker yelled at her. He couldn't hear any of it. His entire world faded away as those two words rang in his head.

You're dead.

Of course, in a sick way, it made sense. He'd be caught in a _ghost_ portal; no one could survive that. But, in a more comforting way, it _didn't_ make sense. After all, he was still very much _alive._ He could feel his heart beating and his pulse racing. He could feel his stomach sink as a new fear popped into his head.

You're dead.

He was falling through walls. His limbs were vanishing from sight. He was flying in his sleep.

Dead people don't fly.

His parents ghost gear had been tracking _him._ The ghost finder didn't find corpses.

 _You're dead._

Danny's focus snapped as the ghost girl shot up, sushing Sam and Tucker.

" _Dammit!_ " She cursed. Sam and Tucker looked at her blankly. "The _ghost_. She's gone!" With a groan, the girl took off into the air and disappeared through the ceiling.

"Wait!" Danny yelled, unfreezing. He tried to follow the girl, only to result in smashing his face on the ceiling tiles. Unfazed, he ran out of the kitchen. "What do you mean?"

"Danny!" Sam called as she and Tucker caught up with him.

"What do you _mean_?" He cried to the empty hallway.

"Danny," Sam tried again, reaching out to grab her friend by the shoulders. Danny grabbed her wrists desperately and spun to look at her with wide eyes.

"Sam! Oh my God, _what did she mean_?"

Sam shot Tucker a helpless look. "Danny, just take a deep breath, we can figure this out."

"Figure out _what!?_ " Danny yelled. His eyes dropped as his whole body went slack, the boy sliding to his knees. "Figure out what?" He repeated, almost in defeat.

Sam didn't get a chance to reply. The three jumped as locker doors flew open, their contents flying around the hall in a tornado of homework, textbooks, and sports equipment. A crash sounded from the end of the hall, and the lunch lady and ghost girl phased down from the ceiling.

"NO ONE CARES _THIS MUCH_ ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL LUNCH MEAT!" Mystery girl screamed, arms wrapped around the Lunch Lady's waist. The wind changed, and everything from the lockers was pulled towards the two fighting ghosts. As he ducked, Tucker's meat sensitive nose perked up.

"Steak?" He looked up, watching his favorite dinner fly over his head. "Ribeye, porterhouse - medium rare!"

The ghost girl was tossed aside as all the meat on the floor of the building collected around the lunch lady's body, turning her into what looked like a meat slug.

"Where did this _come from_?" Sam shrieked.

" _Lancer_!" Tucker accused the principal bitterly.

The mystery girl groaned from where she'd be thrown, muttering curses under her breath.

"Newbie?" She said in surprise as Danny caught her eye. "You need to get your friends out of here before-" The ghost roared as it laid eyes on Sam. "That. Before _that_."

"Prepare to learn why meat is the most powerful of the five food groups!" Lunch lady announced, pointing a meaty finger at Sam. "Cookie?" She offered, her voice sweet and warm.

Sam shook her head no. Mystery girl began to sneak around the ghost while her attention was on the goth.

The lunch lady glared at Sam. "Then perish!" Danny leaped in front of Sam as the lunch lady reached for her.

"Forget it!" He yelled, hoping he sounded brave. "The only thing with an expiration date around here is _you_!"

"And your presence here," Mystery girl tackled the meat slug as Tucker snickered on the sidelines. "I'm serious newbie- _leave!_ "

Despite his reeling mind, Danny gave the girl a determined look, forming a fist in front of his chest. She blinked in disbelief, straining to keep the meat slug from moving.

"Terrifying." She said sarcastically. "If I find any newborn kittens that need a bodyguard, I'll be sure to send them your way. Now stop playing hero and-" Mystery girl yelped as the meat slug bucked her off, sending her flying around the corner and out of sight.

Danny stepped in front of Sam protectively as the meat slug turned to them, raising both his fists in a stance he'd seen in practically every action movie ever. The meat slug gave Danny an unimpressed look as his hand was engulfed in light, moving up his arm and over his entire body, reverting him to his human form.

"Uh," Danny looked back at Sam, panicked. "I didn't mean to do that."

The meat slug batted Danny aside with the back of her hand before scooping Sam up in a meaty fist and disappearing down the hall.

"Dude!" Tucker frantically shook a dazed Danny's arm. "Are you okay? You have to be okay! You gotta change back! We gotta go-"

A firm hand came down on the back of their necks. "You two aren't going _anywhere_!" Mr. Lancer exclaimed. Behind him stood a smirking Dash. As they were dragged down the hall to detention, Danny desperately scanned the halls for a way out. There was none and the mysterious girl had yet to reappear.

"WHY DID THE TWO OF YOU CONSPIRE TO DESTROY THE SCHOOL'S CAFETERIA?" Lancer bellowed, his breath blowing Danny's hair back.

"It's not my fault! Dash-"

"Threw four touchdown passes in the last game and is therefore exempt from detention." Dash smirked as the principal continued, "You two, however, are not. I'll map out your punishment when I return - I have to finish counseling the janitor. No sane man can face that mess alone. Mr. Baxter, watch the door."

Dash grinned as he slammed the door to Lancer's office behind him.

"We have to find Sam!" Tucker declared. "For some reason, I feel like I'm responsible for that ghost kidnapping her."

"Maybe because _you_ told the ghost she changed the menu and started all of this? Maybe that's why!" Danny glared at him as he focused on changing. _More like dying._ He thought morbidly.

Tucker ignored him and sniffed the air. "All that meat is still in the building." He informed Danny. "In fact, it smells like it's getting closer..."

"Are you saying I smell?" The boys jumped as the mystery girl rose from the floor, hands on her hips. "That's rude."

"What the _hell_?" Tucker threw his arms in the air.

"Relax," She said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm not here to yell at you for not listening to me- even if you totally deserve it." She gestured to the security camera feed on Lancer's computer. "I'm here for that."

"Wait," Danny grabbed her arm before she could turn. "What did you mean?"

The girl raised an eyebrow at her captured arm, staring at Danny coldly until he released it. "What are you talking about?"

"You said I'm d… That I'm de.."

"Dead?"

Danny nodded, freezing as he heard it spoken aloud. "What does that _mean_?"

The girl ran her hands over her face. "I'm not trained for this." She muttered. "It means you're a ghost, kid."

Danny would have fallen if Tucker hadn't been there to catch him. His worst fear was coming true. All of his dad's rants ran through his head, his rules for ghost hunting, his warnings. The Ghost Finder wasn't defective; it had done it's job perfectly.

Suddenly it hit Danny; the incident hadn't just _changed_ him, it had _killed_ him.

"But… all ghosts are evil." Danny muttered, brain straining to find any way to disprove the truth.

The girl wrinkled her nose. "Um, rude? I'm a ghost, and I'm not evil."

Danny felt like he was going to throw up. _Of course_ she was a ghost. His whole life Jazz had convinced Danny ghosts weren't real and in the span of 20 minutes, not only had he learned they existed, but that he was one as well.

"Dude?" Tucker lightly tapped Danny's cheek. "You with me?"

"I'm a ghost."

"Danny-"

"I'm a _ghost._ "

"Take a deep breath, bro. You're hyperventilating."

The girl- _ghost girl_ \- awkwardly inched away. "This is probably overwhelming. I'm just gonna get what I need and… leave you alone to process… I guess."

Tucker moved so he was facing Danny. "Danny? You okay?"

"I'm a ghost. I can't believe we didn't figure that out - you would have thought this morning would have been a big enough hint."

"Danny, don't." Tucker said seriously. "You don't have time to spiral right now, okay? Sam needs our help. Once she's safe we'll freak out about this together, okay?"

Danny nodded slowly, his focus on the present gradually returning. "Right, yeah. After Sam is safe."

The ghost girl ignored the two as they joined her side at the computer.

"What are we looking for?" Tucker asked.

She scoffed. "Who's 'we'? _I'm_ looking for clues."

"So _we_ can rescue Sam." Tucker said. "Together."

The girl whipped around to face Tucker. " _Excuse me_? What makes you think you're going to have anything to do with this?"

"She's our best friend. It's our job to help her."

Ghost girl scoffed. "It's not _your_ job, it's _mine._ I actually know what I'm doing, unlike you two. Your last attempt playing hero is what got us into this situation in the first place. No offence, Newbie."

Danny said nothing.

"She's _our_ friend!" Tucker argued.

"And now she's _my_ responsibility. So if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to finding and saving your friend."

Tucker huffed as she turned back to the computer monitor. A few minutes later, she let out a frustrated growl. "It's 2018 - why are your security cameras still black and white?"

Danny took the mouse from her, enlarging the video feed on a hallway. "Is that the kind of clue you're looking for?" he asked smugly.

Ghost girl narrowed her eyes, leaning closer to the monitor. "Yes, actually."

"What is that?" Tucker questioned, looking at the few white pixels on the screen.

"Grease," the girl said matter-of-factually. "Where does that hallway lead?"

"The basement." Tucker told her. He caught her by the upper arm as she turned to leave. "Hold up! Why should we trust you?"

She gave Tucker the same icy stare she had given Danny, ripping her arm from his grasp when he didn't let go. " _Excuse me_?"

"Rule number two: all ghosts are evil."

"Haven't we been over this already? I'm-"

"Not evil." Tucker finished. "See, you _say_ that, but where's the proof?"

Mystery girl scoffed. "You're kidding, right? I've been saving your asses all day, isn't that proof enough?"

"We didn't see you until we met the lunch lady." Tucker explained. "How do we know you two aren't working together?"

"Is that a serious question?"

"Maybe the two of you team up to prey on new ghosts. Maybe you want to drink his blood!"

"Tuck, that's vampires." Danny said in a small voice.

"Ghosts don't have blood." Mystery girl added. "We have ectoplasm."

"Maybe you're an _ectoplasmic_ vampire!"

She looked at Danny. "Is he for real?"

"You can't blame him for being cautious." Said Danny. "If we're going to work together-"

"There is no _we._ There is _me,_ as in by myself."

Danny frowned. "Sam is our friend! We have to help!"

"No," she shook her head. "You really don't. I don't know if you've noticed, Ghost Boy, but you have no control over your powers. You don't know what you're doing."

"And _you_ do?" Tucker snapped.

" _Yes_!"

Tucker opened his mouth, no doubt quipped with a witty comeback, but Danny stopped him. "She's right, Tuck. We have no idea what we're doing. _I_ have no idea what I'm doing." He turned to the mystery girl. " _But_ I do know that my best friend is in trouble. I also know that I can help her. That's all I need to know."

The room was silent as the girl studies Danny's expression. Her face betrayed nothing of what she was thinking. Just as Danny was getting uncomfortable, she groaned, dragging a hand over her face.

"You do _exactly_ as I say. Understood?" Danny nodded. She turned to Tucker. "You too."

"But-"

"I will not hesitate to leave you here."

Tuckers eyes fell with a pout. "Fine. I just have one condition." She raised her eyebrows. "I want to know your name."

"You're kidding, right?" Mystery girl said incredulously. "I don't care what you call me as long as you _listen_ to me!"

"Miss Mystery," Tucker suggested as the two ghosts turned intangible and pulled him through the floor.

"No."

"Captain Ghost Lady!"

"No."

"Nina the ninja," Tucker pressed his back against the wall as Mr. Lancer walked by, promising to pay the janitor overtime for cleaning the cafeteria. "Because you're wearing all black, like a ninja!"

"Pretty sure ninjas don't wear jeans and converse."

"You said you didn't care as long as I listened!" Tucker protested.

"Rephrased; I don't care what you call me as long as you listen to me, _and it isn't something stupid!_ "

Tucker rolled his eyes. "The She-Specter!"

"Control you friend, ghost boy. This is getting embarrassing."

"Hey!"

"If you call me 'Ghost Boy' can I call you 'Ghost Girl'?" Danny asked as they slipped through the door to the basement.

She stopped to drag a hand over her face. "Fine, sure, whatever. It's the least stupid option I've heard to far." Tucker pouted. "Now get behind me and-"

Tucker inhaled deeply, eyes flashing excitedly. "Meat!" He shouted, running past Ghost Girl into the basement. She glared at Danny as if it was his fault his best friend had no impulse control and descended the stairs after him. Danny walked into her as she stopped suddenly, staring ahead. Curious, Danny looked over her shoulder.

"Tucker, what the hell?"

Tucker was nuzzling boxes stacked high with frozen meat. "All my dreams have come true!"

Ghost Girl gave Danny a concerned look. "He's knows how weird this is, right?"

Danny shrugged helplessly. The three froze, peeking around the boxes to see Sam, buried up to her neck in various cuts of meat.

"Sweet child," said the Lunch Lady, hovering in front of Sam. "Meat is good for kids! It helps them grow and makes them smile; why won't you eat it?"

Sam cringed as the ghost shoved a chicken leg in her face. "We don't need meat! It's fat!"

The Lunch Lady growled, chucking the meat to the floor. "You disrespectful child! You need discipline, manners, _respect!_ You know where that comes from? MEAT!"

"What do we do?" Tucker whispered as he attempted to open a box of steak.

Ghost Girl gave him a long look. "You like meat." It wasn't a question.

" _Love_ it!"

She jerked her head towards Sam. "That's an all you can eat buffet out there, and your name is written all over it."

If Danny didn't know any better, he would have sworn literal stars appeared in Tucker's eyes. "Understood!" He said seriously, producing a fork and knife from his pocket.

The ghost girl blinked for a moment before decided it wasn't worth her time to question it. She looked around the boxes again before turning to Danny. "Congratulations, ghost boy, you've been promoted to the coveted position of 'Prince Charming'."

Danny stared at her, not understanding. With a sigh, she explained, "You and meat boy over here are gonna get Sam out of here while I distract the ghost. As soon as she's free, you three book it."

"But what are you gonna do once we're gone?"

"Keep the ghost busy until you guys are far, _far,_ away, and wing it from there."

Danny blanched. " _That's_ your genius plan? Winging it?"

"Yup."

"I'm not leaving you to fight a ghost _alone_!"

"Yes you are." Her voice was low and serious. "Fighting the ghost is dangerous."

"I can handle danger-"

"You couldn't handle flying cutlery." Ghost Girl scoffed. "You promised me you'd listen, so _listen_. Wait until I have the Lunch Lady's attention then go get your friend out of there. I'm sure the two of you can handle that. As soon as she's out, run. Clear?"

"Clear," Tucker and Danny muttered.

"No fighting."

"No fighting." Danny repeated.

"We've got this dude!" Tucker clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Let's go be the best damn rescuers we can be!"

With a roll of her eyes, the ghost girl inched her way around the boxes, turning invisible as she got a closer look at the situation. Sam grimaced as the Lunch Lady tried to force Sam to take a bite of a chicken breast. She glanced back, making sure the two boys were staying back. Tucker's eyes were trained on her, waiting her to lead the ghost away from Sam. The ghost boy, however, was glaring daggers at the lunch lady.

The ghost grabbed Sam's jaw roughly, popping a piece of chicken in Sams open mouth. Sam spit it back in the ghosts face.

 _Don't do it._

The ghost lady sneered at Sam, murder in her eyes as her hair caught on fire.

"Sam!" Danny yelled, shooting out of his hiding place, slamming a fist into the Lunch Lady's face.

 _Oh my God._

Tucker's jaw dropped as the Lunch Lady staggered back, shocked. "I'm coming for you Sam!" He declared, running towards his friend.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" She groaned as Tucker rushed forward, cutting through the meat, stopping every couple of moments to take a bite.

Danny decided against listening to Ghost Girl. He was just as much of a ghost as she was- just as much of a superhero! A brand new, completely inexperienced superhero, but a superhero nonetheless! He'd have to learn how to do this eventually, and hands on learning was the most effective - according to his science teacher anyways. He flipped in the air and attempted to roundhouse kick the lunch lady in the face. Unamused, she caught him by the ankle.

"Prime example!" The ghost shouted, holding Danny upside down. "This is _exactly_ why you need meat!" She tossed Danny aside like a rag doll. "You're skin and bones!"

Danny groaned as he rolled to a stop in front of boxes of beef. Ghost Girl popped into his vision, dropping her invisibility. Danny offered her an innocent smile, her furious gaze piercing his soul.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" Without another word, she stepped over Danny and tackled the Lunch Lady, keeping her attention away from Tucker and Sam.

The Lunch Lady screeched as she and the ghost girl rolled away. Danny ducked as Ghost Girl was tossed aside, flying over his head.

Glaring, the Lunch Lady raised her fist, the boxes nearest to her erupting. Shish kebabs flew like arrows, wooden points aiming for the two ghosts. Ghost Girl cursed as she rolled out of the way, but Danny was frozen.

His panicked mind offered him the comforting thought that while being shot with shish kebabs would hurt like hell, he would likely survive. He wasn't a vampire after all.

 _Unless wood can kill ghosts too._

Danny closed his eyes as he realized he had no time to move, heart stopping. Thuds sounded behind him as the skewers ripped into cardboard; but he didn't feel anything.

Cautiously, he opened his eyes. His body had split in two; legs planted on the ground and supper body floating above, out of the line of fire.

Danny hardly had time to celebrate his win, or freak out about what he had just done, before his body had reconnected and his attention was drawn to the Lunch Lady.

Tucker gasped as the steak he had been about to eat flew off his fork. With a screech from the lunch lady, the boxes exploded, various meats soaring through the air. Tucker and Sam stood frozen in place as the meat encircled the Lunch Lady, fusing together around her body. Once again, the group was faced with a meat slug.

"I'm gonna be sick." Sam muttered as juice dripped from the Lunch Slug. It roared in response.

Ghost Girl shoved Danny aside just in time to avoid a meaty fist. Danny gulped as the floor cracked; if the Lunch Slug wanted to, she could hold the entirety of his body in that hand.

"Do you just forget the plan?" Ghost Girl dragged Danny behind a row of empty boxes, chucking one at the Slug. "Let's review; I fight the ghost, you and your friends _get the hell out!"_

The ghost knocked through the wall of boxes, fingers wrapped around Danny and lifting him away.

"Never have I met such _disrespectful_ children!" The slug thundered. Tucker shrieked as it turned to him and Sam. "Someone needs to teach you to respect your elders!"

The oxygen was crushed out of Danny's lungs as the fist around him tightened. His eyes scanned the room for Ghost Girl as he choked.

Suddenly, an industrial size can of ketchup nailed the slug in the face.

"Hey, Meat Face! Yeah, I'm talking to you!"

Danny sucked in a greedy breath as the ghost turned to the girl, the grip on him loosening.

"I am a _vegetarian_!" Ghost Girl announced with a cocky smile. "What are _you_ gonna do about it?"

The ghost was going to chuck Danny at the vegetarian, that was what it was gonna do about it.

Danny yelped as the girl dodged him, sending him straight into a wall. Or rather, _through_ it. Without meaning too, Danny went intangible and sailed through unscathed.

Ghost Girl glanced down briefly at the two on the ground, careful not to look for too long lest the ghost slug realize what she was looking at.

"Run," She breathed, careful to keep her voice down and gaze locked with the ghost. Tucker and Sam stayed rooted to the spot.

"Run!" She said, louder this time, cursing as the ghost swiped at her. Again, the two didn't move.

" _Run_!" The girl shouted, ducked as the enraged ghost grabbed at her. "Do you hear me? _RUN!"_

Sam and Tucker screamed as the slug lunged at the girl, taking off in opposite directions. The ghost slug took notice, lobing pounds of meat towards them, blocking the only exit. Sam cried out as she screeched to a stop, narrowly avoiding the flying beef.

Danny shook his head dizzily as he phased back into the room. His head cleared as he saw Tucker sprint to the door.

"There aren't any other exits!" Tucker squeaked as he ran to Sam.

"So?" Sam gestured to the meat blocking the door. "Start eating us a way out!"

"I can't!"

"Why not?!"

"I can't eat under these conditions!" Tucker wailed. "I'm too stressed!"

"We're _all_ stressed!"

" _GHOST BOY!"_ Danny could see Ghost Girl wrestling with the meat monsters hands. "GO NOW!"

Biting his lip, Danny dove towards his friends, wrapping his arms around their waists and focusing on becoming intangible. Moments before they hit the wall his power spread to all three of them, and they passed through easily.

"Oh my God." Sam breathed shakily as the three landed roughly on the grass.

"Oh my God." Tucker agreed, eyes wide with shock.

"Danny, what are you doing?" Sam asked, snapping out of her shell shock as Danny stood. His legs were shaking, his face pale.

"Back in- she needs, she needs help."

Sam's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Danny, you look like you're about to pass out."

"You don't say." Danny muttered before pitching forward, unconscious.

Tucker cursed as he rushed to his best friend's side. With a flash of light his ghost form disappeared, leaving Danny looking human and exhausted.

"What do we do? God, Sam, what do we do?"

Sam smacked him. "Pull it together Techno-geek!"

Tucker blinked in shock, a hand on his reddening cheek. "Right. Right, sorry you're right."

Sam looked around at their surroundings. The parking lot was empty except for the teachers lot; school had ended. She let go of a breath she hadn't realized she was holding- no one had been around to witness Danny and his powers.

"We can't go back." She decided. "Not without Danny. We need to take him home and tell his parents what's going on. They're the only ones who can help."

Tucker nodded mutely, eyes glazed as if he were in a trance. Silently he helped Sam lift Danny, holding his unconscious best friend as they walked him home.

"What are we supposed to say?" Tucker asked as they neared Fenton Works.

"The truth, I guess." Sam said nervously.

Before they could lose their nerve, the two rang the doorbell. Jazz answered a moment later, annoyed.

"Where were you?" She demanded. "I waited in the parking lot for 15 minutes! You couldn't have texted me and let me know you wouldn't need a ride? Do you know how worried my parents are about Danny-" She stopped, noticing for the first time that the two were carrying her unconscious brother. She gasped, stepping aside to let the teens in.

"What happened? Is he okay?" Jazz tugged on the ends of her hair anxiously as Sam and Tucker placed Danny gently on the couch.

"Where are you parents, Jazz?" Sam asked calmly, settling Danny's head on a cross stitch pillow.

Jazz dropped her gaze. "It'd probably be best if we don't bother them."

Sam closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Jasmine, we _really_ need to talk to your parents."

"No."

"Give me one good reason-" Sam stopped at the sound of raising voices. Jazz bit her lip, eyes moving up the stairs towards her parents room. It was obvious they were arguing.

"Just tell me what happened, okay? Mom and Dad are stressed enough as it is- I don't want to add this to their plate."

"You don't understand!" Tucker cried. "There was a ghost at school-"

A door banged open and moments later, Jack Fenton came running down the stairs. "Ghost? At school?"

Maddie appeared moments later, face contorted in anger. "James Jackson Fenton don't think for a second that you can just avoid- Danny!" She rushed past the other to the couch, grabbing Danny's hand. "What happened?"

"There was a ghost at school!" Jack said excitedly. "See! I told you the portal was working! I _told_ you!"

Maddie spun to her husband, furious. "It's only functioning because of _our son_ fell in and got _electrocuted_!"

"It was all in the name of science!"

"Are you telling me you care more about the stupid portal then your son?" Maddie cried.

Jack rolled his eyes. "I've been telling you all day that's not what I mean!"

Maddie narrowed her eyes. "This whole thing is your fault."

"My fault! How is it my fault?"

"That thing has no safety precautions! It wasn't safe and you _knew it,_ but you didn't do anything about it!"

"He knew to stay away from it!" Jack yelled defensively. "He knew better than to go down there!"

" _We_ know better, Jack! We _know_ what can happen if we aren't safe! _You_ should have known better than to leave it!." Her gaze dropped to the floor. "Especially after last time."

Jacks jaw dropped. "That's not fair, Maddie."

"It was your fault then, and it's your fault now."

Jack exhaled heavily. "I'm going out." He said coldly, stalking towards the door. "There are ghosts afoot, and someone has to deal with 'em."

Maddie glared at him as he left, posture slumping as the door closed behind him. "I'm sorry about that, kids." She brushed Danny's hair off his forehead. "What happened? Was there really a ghost attacking the school?"

"Ye-"

"No." Sam cut Tucker off. "Tucker and Danny stayed after school helping me study for an extra credit project on goats for biology. He fell asleep. Sorry for worrying you and making Jazz wait."

Maddie sighed in relief. "Don't worry about it, kids. I'm just happy he's okay- I was worried it was a side effect of his accident." She sounded exhausted.

"Why don't you guys take Danny upstairs." Jazz suggested. "Mom and I will make you some snacks. C'mon mom." Jazz gently took her moms arm and walked her to the kitchen.

Sam and Tucker didn't talk again until they were in Danny's room, their friend tucked under his covers.

They sat in an uneasy silence, watching YouTube until Danny jolted awake.

"What's going on?" He yelped, sitting up quickly and almost falling out of bed.

"You passed out." Tucker said, easing Danny back down. "We took you home."

"How long have I been out?"

"Four days."

"Four days!" Danny bolted up again.

Tucker chuckled awkwardly. "I'm kidding; it's only been a couple hours." Sam glared daggers at him. "Just trying to ease the tension."

"Well stop trying." Sam said dryly. She held a snack try out to Danny. "You should eat something."

"What happened?" Danny asked, gingerly taking a handful of grapes. "Where are my parents?"

"Your dad's out ghost hunting." Tucker explained. "And Jazz took your mom out to a movie- she was pretty upset when we brought you home."

Danny's shoulders slumped.

"Why didn't you tell us they were fighting?" Sam asked softly. Danny shrugged.

"Is it why you're so insistent on not telling them?" Tucker asked, joining Sam on the edge of the bed.

Danny groaned, draping an arm over his eyes. "Can we not talk about this right now, please?"

"Yeah, sure thing buddy."

Danny gasped suddenly, sitting up again. "What happened at school? The lunch lady and the girl and-"

"We don't know." Sam admitted. "But there hasn't been anything on the news and your dad hasn't sent out a war cry, so it must have been taken care of."

Danny calmed down a little, laying back once again.

"I hope your dad finds it." Said Tucker. "Then maybe school will be cancelled tomorrow."

"You're _joking,_ right?" Sam sneered. "We just encountered a real ghost, and all you care about is getting a day off?"

"I mean, at this point, I think we've earned it."

"You're unbelievable! That thing almost killed us!"

Tucker scowled. "It's not my fault the ghost was pissed off. You're the one who had to change the menu."

" _Excuse me_?" Sam sputtered, infuriated. "Are you saying this is my fault?"

"Kinda! I mean, the only reason this even happened is because _you_ had to be unique! It's _your_ fault that ghost couldn't find any meatloaf!"

"It was the school board's choice!"

"Well I'm going to convince them to _unchoose_ it!" Tucker huffed, stomping out of Danny's room.

"You want to change that menu back? You're gonna have to go through me to do it!" She slammed the door as she left.

Danny let his head fall back on his pillow, thoroughly drained. _Tomorrow will be better._ He thought as he fell asleep. _Tomorrow, everything will go back to normal._

Tomorrow was not normal. Tomorrow was worse.

Two huge protests were gathered in the parking lot outside of Casper High as Danny walked up to school; One with posters and costumes celebrating meat as they barbecued, and another filled with hippies and peaceful music. A stage was set up on the meat side, dancers in sausage costumes filing off the stage as Tucker took the mic.

"What do we want?" He asked the crowd.

"MEAT!"

"When do we want it?"

"NOW!"

On the opposite stage stood Sam, a sign reading 'Meat Is Murder' clutched in her hands. "VEGGIES NOW! VEGGIES FOREVER!" She chanted with her crowd.

They both dismounted their respective stages as the noticed Danny, and made their way towards him.

"You put together two protests _overnight_?" He asked tiredly.

"Meat eaters Danny. Always ready to fight." Tucker narrowed his eyes at Sam. "And our high protein diets give us the energy we need to do it quickly."

"Ultra-recycle vegetarians are always ready to protest," Sam shot back. "And because we don't have to waste time cooking our food, we can move even _faster_."

"Don't you guys think this is a little extreme?" Danny questioned.

"No choice Danny." Tucker growled. "You're either with me,"

"Or you're against him!" Sam snarled.

Danny hiccuped, quickly covering his mouth so no one could see the mist coming from his mouth. "Crap."

The ground shook as the wind picked up violently, laughter echoing across the parking lot. Protesters and students froze in horror as the vendors and trucks of meat exploded, the products being swept away by the wind.

"That's not good." Tucker whimpered.

The meat swirled in the air, conjoining behind the school to create the largest meat slug yet. The monster towered over the school, arms as thick as trees. "MEAT!" it bellowed.

All around them, people began to panic. They screamed as the ran in every direction; no one noticed as Sam and Tucker sandwiched Danny in a hug, allowing him to transform without being seen.

The slug snagged something out of the sky, chucking it over the roof of the school. The thing screamed as it flew head over heels, crashing into a tree nearby. Danny cursed as the ghost girl fell from the branches, yelling explicitly.

"Ghost Girl!" Danny sprinted towards her as she pulled twigs from her hair. She whipped around, her face both furious and tired.

"Ghost Boy," She greeted. "And friends."

"What's going on? Why is she bigger?" Danny asked frantically.

"Because _someone_ decided to bring _more_ meat to the school." She deadpanned, leaning tiredly on the tree.

"Why is she even still here?" Sam demanded.

"I've had her trapped in the freezer all night." Ghost girl explained. "The cold froze the meat around her and kept her from phasing out of the school. On a completely unrelated note, tell your school to restock the fire extinguishers. On a completely related note, trapping ghosts in freezers really pisses them off. Who knew, am I right?"

Sam just stared.

"Trapping ghosts also makes them remarkably bored. I mean, I know the elderly like to tell the youth about how much better life was in the olden days, but my _God_ that woman can talk! One night, and I could write a trilogy about the life and afterlife of Hilda the Lunch Lady."

"Why didn't you get rid of her?!" Sam shouted. "That's you job, isn't it? You're supposed to be a professional!"

"Professional is a loose term."

Sam's eyes narrowed. "How loose?"

The girl rubbed the back of her neck uneasily. "This is the first time I've fought a ghost without help. I mean, I've gotten ghosts to leave and stop bothering people-"

"Oh my God."

"But I've been trained to-"

"Oh, well thank God!" Sam said sarcastically. "Don't worry everybody, she's been _trained_ on how to fight ghosts, but never actually has! We're saved!" She pointed an accusing finger. "By that logic I can drive because I've played Mario Kart."

"Sam!" Danny snapped. "That's enough! She might not have experience, but she knows more about how to handle this than any of us!"

"Only in theory!" Sam argued.

"There is a ghost attacking, Sam. That isn't a theory. We need to stop it!" He turned to the ghost girl. "How _do_ we stop it?"

She blinked, as if shaking herself out of a panic, before answering. "Wait until she expires? Unleash the hounds?" She shrugged, eyes helpless. "I don't know. The fire extinguishers slowed her down, but I used them all last night."

"Great." Sam muttered, crossing her arms.

Ghost girl glared. "I don't see you offering up any ideas."

"The barbeque truck had a fire extinguisher." Tucker piped up meekly. "It's not much, but-"

"But it gives us something." Danny finished. "I'll take it. Sam, I need you to try and get these people somewhere safe."

Sam turned towards the row of Volkswagen vans parked along the street. "If those things can survive the 60s, then they can survive this."

As the two turned to leave, Danny's parents pulled up in the Fenton Mobile.

"I told you there were ghosts afoot!" Jack yelled victoriously as he jumped from the driver's seat.

Sam cursed. "We'll distract them!" She promised. "Just go!"

"IT'S LUNCH TIME!" Hilda the Lunch Slug bellowed.

"IT IS EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING!" Ghost Girl shouted back, exasperated. She turned to Danny. "Listen, if you don't feel comfortable fighting with me, then I won't blame you."

Danny waved his hand dismissively. "Let's go get some experience, Ghost Girl."

She blinked in surprise before offering him a weak smile. "Congratulations, Ghost Boy. You've just been promoted to 'Hero'."

Together they took to the sky, hovering like flies around Hilda's head. "Any brilliant ideas on how to take her down?"

"She's big, which means she'll be slow," Said Danny. "Maybe we can get her off balance?"

"How do you suppose we do _that_?" she dodged to the right as Hilda swiped at them. As she distracted the monster, Danny flew behind it and kicked her in the back of the head. With wide eyes, the monster fell onto it's face.

"Oh. That's one way to- _Crap!"_ The ghost girl dove to the side. Too late, Danny realised what she had been dodging; As she fell Hilda punched Danny, sending him tumbling through the air.

A little girl on a plane screamed as she saw Danny fly past her window. He narrowly avoided the planes engine on his way back down, thanking God his suit didn't have a cape.

Danny was dazed as he fell; he felt as if he was floating, ears ringing.

" _GHOST BOY!_ " Ghost girl screeched from the ground, watching the dot that was Danny drop like dead weight back to Earth.

Her call cut through the static and Danny snapped back to the present. He was gaining speed as he fell, quickly reaching terminal velocity.

"MOVE!" He yelled as he tried to control his fall, a plan forming in his mind. The ghost girl looked up to see him curling in a ball, aiming for Hilda. She flew away cursing so violently she put Deadpool to shame.

Danny collided full force with the confused ghost, the impact sending meat in all directions. A crater formed where the ghost had once stood, meat sliding down the sides; Danny lay in the center, groaning.

The ghost girl crawled out from under a blanket of meat, gagging as she spit a barbecued rib out of her mouth. "Ghost boy?" She called, growing worried. He groaned from his crater.

She cursed as she ran over. "Ghost boy? Are you hurt? Oh my God, oh my God you are so _stupid_ what were you thinking?" Danny winced as she pulled him from the hole. "Oh God, you _are_ hurt, aren't you? You weren't supposed to get hurt, this is my fault, oh my God."

"Oh my!" A sweet voice said from behind them. Hilda floated there, looking like the sweet lunch lady they had first met. "Are you alright, dear?"

"Yeah," Danny said cautiously, giving the ghost girl a pointed look as he rolled his shoulder. "I'm fine."

Hilda's hair began to flame. "Well, that just won't do, now will it? Can't have you ruining my plans, can we dear?"

"Hilda, _honey_ ," Ghost Girl said, moving to stand in front of Danny. "After all the time we spent together last night, I'd like to think of us as friends. So, as your friend I am telling you that you have a problem and need help."

"You're right." Hilda said thoughtfully. "Maybe I _do_ need help."

Danny gulped as the meat surrounding them began to move, taking shape until an army of mini meat monsters surrounded them.

"This is _not_ what I meant!" Ghost Girl said, backing away from the advancing army. "I was talking more along the lines of admitting you have a problem? Maybe some therapy?"

Hilda roared, spraying the ghost girl with spit. "Ok, okay! Therapy isn't for everyone!" She exclaimed, wiping spit from her eyes. "I'm sure we can find some other outlet for you that doesn't involve terrorizing high schools!"

Hilda cackled, flying away to oversee her army.

"GOD DAMMIT HILDA! I SWEAR WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU-" the girl took off after the ghost, spewing threats. Danny cursed as he eyed the meat monsters as they moved in closer.

"Are you _serious_?" He whined as they bared teeth made of bones.

Desperate to fight them off, Danny spun in a circle, slicing the nearest monsters in half with the heel of his boot. The half monsters simply merged back together, snarling lividally at the ghost boy.

" _Dammit._ I wasn't expecting that." Without warning, there was a flash of light, and Danny had reverted back to his human form. "Or that…"

The army of monsters looked to each other, green eyes glinting with amusement as they smiled. A group of them tackled him, restraining his arms and legs as they pulled him into the air.

Behind the school, Ghost Girl was wrestling with Hilda, demanding the meat monsters be called off. The parking lot was overrun with the monsters, cars being plowed over and tossed around in the sea of meat. Sam stood on top of a van, whacking the monsters away with the signs from her protest.

Danny's parents had locked Jazz in the Fenton Mobile, his mom firing her energy gun at the army while his dad batted them away with an electric tennis racket.

Tucker was backed against a wall, defending himself with an almost empty fire extinguisher.

Danny yelped as the monsters pretended to drop him as the flipped him upside down, holding him only by his legs.

"Danny!" Tucker yelled, eyes widening at the sight of his best friend. "Danny, catch!"

 _SMACK!_

Danny cursed as something smacked him in the face, his nose starting to bleed. He held the object in front of him, confused. Had Tucker thrown him the fire extinguisher? A green Fenton label glinted back at him.

 _The Fenton Thermos! Tucker, you're a genius!_

Danny pulled the lid off and aimed it at the meat monsters. Nothing happened.

 _Heck._

The monsters looked at each other in confusion before releasing their hold on Danny, laughing as he fell.

"CHANGE BACK!" Tucker screamed at him; the army below had paused their attack to watch the boy fall.

Danny managed to change back just in time to avoid getting his guts splattered all over the grass; the monsters roared, enraged as he zipped around the corner. They gave chase, following him as he sprinted towards the ghost girl and Hilda.

Ghost Girl had her arms locked around Hilda's waist, keeping her arms pinned to her sides. "Call them off and we can talk about this!" She shouted. "Call them _off!_ "

"Ghost Girl!" Danny yelled, coming to a stop a few feet away, waving the thermos above his head. "Help me!"

"NO!" Hilda howled as the ghost girl ran to Danny's side. "Soup is not on today's menu!"

"I'm changing the menu!" Danny declared, pointing the thermos as the ghost. "Permanently!"

Ghost Girl wrapped her hand around the thermos, looking at Danny in confusion. He ripped the top off and poured every last ounce of ghost energy he had left into the contraption. A moment later it started glowing as the ghost girl joined him. A beam of blue light shot out of the top shining on Hilda as it began to pull her in.

"No! NO!" the ghost screeched, clawing at the grass in an attempt to escape the pull of the thermos. Her army of meat monsters were sucked in too, leaving lifeless hunks of meat in their wake.

"You cannot defeat me! I'll be back! YOU WILL LEARN TO RESPECT MEAT!" Hilda screamed as the thermos finally pulled her in. The light disappeared as Danny slammed the lid on top.

Danny and the ghost girl stared at the thermos in silence for a moment before the two sank to the grass, exhausted laughter breaking out between them.

"It worked!" Danny beamed. "We caught a ghost!"

"We caught a ghost!" she repeated in disbelief, a small smile on her face. "My God. We really did it."

"Danny!" Danny grunted as Sam and Tucker ran up to him, knocking him flat on his back as they hugged him.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Asked Sam, looking Danny up and down.

"That was _so cool_!" Raved Tucker. "There was an explosion- a literal _explosion-_ of meat!"

The excited energy died down as Sam glared at Ghost girl, who was sitting awkwardly away from the trio.

"Guess I'll just… be going then." She said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Bye." Sam turned her back to the ghost.

"Wait!" Danny reached out to stop her. "Where are you going?"

"This ghost is stopped. I need to go find the next one- it's my job, remember?"

"But what if she comes back?"

"You have just as much experience as I do, Ghost Boy. I'm sure you can handle it."

"But what if another ghost attacks?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Are ghost attacks a common occurrence?"

Danny and Tucker shared a look. "There might be a sudden increase." Danny said slowly. "There's kinda this ghost portal and it's letting ghosts out randomly and-"

Ghost Girl held up a hand. "There's a _what_?"

"A ghost portal. And experience be damned, I have no idea what I'm doing. You do; I couldn't have done this without you. I can't do this by myself."

Ghost Girl looked at the trio in silence, conflicted. Finally she dragged a hand over her face with a groan. "Phone." She said, hand still covering her face. Tucker whipped out his phone and handed it to her. She entered her number and returned it.

"Call me, beep me, if you want to reach me." She said with a sigh. "Just not for the next 24 hours. I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I'm out." Without another word, she flew away.

"Dude!" Tucker nudged Danny excitedly. "I finally got a chick's number!"

Sam crossed her arms. "A ghost chick. I don't trust her. What if-"

"Guys," Danny said, exhaustion in his voice as he changed back to his human form. "For now can we just celebrate the fact that we survived a ghost attack and get some rest?"

Sam and Tucker nodded.

"You would have to be some kind of moron not to see the ghost directly ahead of you." Siri's voice chirped. Danny turned to see his mom and dad approaching, holding the Fenton Finder. Jack looked up expectantly.

"Sorry dad," Danny hid the thermos behind his back and pointed down the street. "You just missed him."

"WE'VE GOT A RUNNER!" Jack took off running down the street, Maddie close behind.

"Are you ever going to tell them?" Tucker asked.

Danny shrugged with a yawn. "Maybe someday. But not until we're all ready." he closed his eyes, stretching his arms above his head.

Sam and Tucker laid next to him, watching the sky as police cars pulled up to deal with the aftermath of the fight. Maddie had to talk a police officer out of arresting her husband on suspicion on insanity.

"Hey, Tuck?" Danny said sleepily, oblivious to the chaos around him.

"Yeah?"

"How the hell were you able to throw the thermos like that when you struggle with push doors?"

The trio laughed.

The Ghost Girl landed in an alley by a bus station, ducking behind a dumpster. The alley flashed with light; she walked out from behind the dumpster, changed. White hair and purple eyes had given way to brunette tresses and green eyes. She was dressed as normal teenager in skinny jeans and a T-shirt. A backpack was slung over one shoulder.

She sighed, utterly drained and entered the station. "Wisconsin," She told the ticket lady, paying and moving to take a seat. In the furthest corner she sat, pulling out her phone.

"Hello?" A deep voice answered her call on the second ring.

"You were right," She whispered, looking around to make sure no one was listening. "There's a ghost portal here, and it opened."

"Did you see it?"

She shook her head before realizing the caller couldn't see her. "No. But I know it's there- a ghost attacked a local high school."

"I was just watching the news coverage. Were you hurt?"

"No." She lied, examining a bruise on her face in the window.

"Good. The news report says the ghost is gone. Do you know what happened to it?"

"Some guy in an orange jumpsuit handled the situation." The girl said, fiddling with the star charm around her neck.

"Jack Fenton?"

"Not sure. Possibly- his van did have the word Fenton on it."

"You don't say."

"I gave a kid my number," she told the caller. "He promised to call if more ghosts show up."

"Perfect." The voice said affectionately. "I'm proud of you."

The girl cringed. "Whatever."

The man on the other end of the line chuckled fondly. "You must be exhausted. Come home and rest. Call me when your bus leaves so I know when to pick you up."

"Okay."

"And Elizabeth? I promise, this will all make sense very soon."

"It's Liz-" She corrected, but the line was dead. She pulled her earbuds from her backpack and plugged them in, turning her music up as loud as she could stand. As she was skipping a song, her phone buzzed as she received a text message.

 _Thanks for saving us. By the way, we came up with a better name! How do you feel about 'Star'?_

 _~ Tucker_

 _Star_. Liz smiled softly as she tucked her phone in her pocket. She leaned against the window as she waited for her bus to arrive, closing her eyes with a sigh.

 _Congratulations Star. You're in way over your head._

So, what'd you think? Please leave a review! 

**Also, check out Liz's diary entry following this episodes on Tumblr (Elizabethfreakingmasters)**

 **~Piper (::)**


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